Community Updates

Our Goal

OUR GOAL

To provide a unique environment where folks who have experienced trauma can openly and safely talk. We strive to respect, validate, and learn from each other.

ACHIEVING OUR GOAL

Achieving our goal requires cooperative collaboration amongst members and staff. Members posts remain appropriate and relevant to topics. Terms of Service are clearly posted to help members maintain the dignity of the board. Members of this group are at a stage in their healing to independently regulate their own behavior, as well as keeping themselves safe while on the forums. Staff regularly monitor posts and replies to ensure the board remains a safe and comfortable environment of learning for everyone.

As a friendly and kind community, we validate each other as equally special and significant.

These forums are active and the community not too large or too small - about 400 post per day. There are many forums on different topics. The topics range in subject matter also. You are welcome to interact as you feel comfortable.

This is a safe place for members. We encourage building coping skills, learning from each other and material shared. We discourage sharing explicit memories of past abuse. We feel that processing memories be done with professionals. There are no practicing therapists on these forums. Therefore, topics that call for therapist type responses are discouraged.

Feel free to look around. Realize that, as a guest, your view of the forums is minimal. These forums are otherwise private to the public view and/or search engines.

We have literally hundreds of articles and provide workshops for everyone. Please feel free to email me anytime with questions. I am also providing a tutorial that should help with navigating our site.

Webinar Group

HiJust wondering if any of you would be interested in a small, online DID group on the webinar program on here? Let me know by replying to this....it would be max 5 people and I would lead it....I have my Masters in Marriage and Fam T so, have experience...if there are more than 5 interested, we could either do another group as well, or if it's only 1 or 2 people, we may increase the size.

Maybe, everyone doesn't understand. Ivory Garden is a nonprofit org - our purpose and goals are fundamentally to provide what is most helpful to others - not Ivory Garden - right? Other groups state the same, but are not providing -

For instance, about 5 years ago, folks asked that we have a conference - they stated what they would like - and, IG provided it and successfully. These conferences continue - and, successfully - meaning that we fulfill our purpose and folks express that they benefit.

The idea of having these groups came from us discussing what survivors most need - based on what you all tell us.

Manysunshine brought up the idea of having groups - with qualified folks leading them - so that survivors who don't have therapy or who need additional can come. We are blessed to have highly qualified folks on our forum as members.

I don't want this to become confused with 'peer supporter' type help - we had this at one time here - and, it totally blew up in our face. Mainly, because the folks doing the 'peer support' were in no way trained. We do not continue a program that is 'hurtful' - and, we keep our strict privacy guidelines intact.

I understand that there are other groups with similar purpose and goals to IG's - but, without the fundamental goal of 'helping others' and ensuring that folks remain safe - IG's TOS and privacy policy are available.

I don't know if that clarified what type 'groups' we are offering, but I am hoping so.

I know that Manysunshine is working diligently on what 'type' groups would be most beneficial. You are all welcome to add ideas here.

Thanks Felicity. I mean if no one wants it, that’s fine. I’m willing to lead it but only if we can get it together pretty soon because I really want to help people and if other opportunities come up and there’s very little to no interest in this, I’ll help others. I know it can seem a little scary for people but it’s a choice they have to be seen (webcam) or just heard (phone). I just don’t like typing much plus I am very bad at understanding tone in typing— voice inflections are important to me, especially in a process group. So, please if you are interested let us know soon.

Can you name a tentative day and time and start date, that will work for you if you lead it, and see who can show up?I am VERY interested, I am sure others are too. But I am also sort of sure people are wanting to know these details as a first step before committing themselves to something that may not work for them.This forum is on Pacific time, as Felicity and I are both located in Pacific time so that would be a best way to put times.The forum is least busy on Sat and Sun mornings and busiest on midweek days and mid-late afternoons. Hoping that could help make a decision easier to do.I think people are interested and this is a good idea. Would be sad to see it die out because people don't know "when" it is.

wishing you well- Krathyn, Sebastian, Strawberry, Easebeth, PetreaKrathyn of We5: we accept all intentions of support--

@Marysunshine I look forward to your webinar. I hope to lead one too. I'm new though so I'm just getting my footing. I agree with Felicity though, it's important once we set a date that we keep it if at all possible :-)

@ Starbuck that’s great!! Yes, that’s the reason I’d like to know times and dates people can be on so we can hopefully have a majority who can be at the same time. As I said, I have several set appts a week, while other appts I am able to schedule differently if needed. If you have ideas, times and dates, please post them. Also, if you have experience and credentials please let Felicity and/or us know. Thank you